The reference numeral 105 in FIG. 9 represents a stage apparatus of a conventional technology.
The stage apparatus 105 includes a base plate 111, and the base plate 111 is mounted on a floor with four leg sections 112a to 112d disposed at the four corners on the back surface side of the base plate 111.
The rails 114a, 114b are arranged on the upper surface of the base plate 111, and an ejection device 113 is mounted thereon, A print head is disposed on a surface of the ejection device 113 that faces the base plate 111. The print head is connected to a tank 119 that supplies the print head with an ejection liquid. When a substrate 107 is mounted on the base plate 111 and the ejection liquid is ejected from the print head, the ejection liquid lands on the substrate 107.
The ejection device 113 is movable along the rails 114a, 114b. Thus, when the ejection device 113 ejects the ejection liquid above the substrate 107, as shown in FIG. 10, it is possible to land the ejection liquid at a desired position on the surface of the substrate 107.
This ejection liquid can be, for example, a raw material of an organic thin film for a liquid crystal oriented film, a spacer dispersion liquid for a liquid crystal display device, a raw material of a light emitting layer of an organic EL element, or the like. In addition, the stage apparatus 105 can be used to eject the ejection liquid onto a large substrate.
However, there is a trend that the substrates subjected to the ejection are becoming larger and larger. Accordingly, the stage apparatuses are also becoming larger, making it difficult to transport a stage apparatus manufactured in a manufacturing plant to its installation site due to problems related to cost and transportation law.
A countermeasure has been taken in conventional technologies for such a circumstance. For instance, an attempt has been made to divide the base plate and to transport the divided pieces to the installation site. Please refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-73688.